This invention relates generally to the art of energy recycling processes and apparatuses, and more particularly to an improved process and apparatus for vapor compression distillation.
A variety of processes and apparatuses utilizing vapor compression for distillation exist in the prior art. Such prior art processes and apparatuses frequently employ an evaporating chamber for boiling a liquid passing therethrough. The resulting vapor is usually compressed to enable its use as a primary source of heat in the evaporating chamber. The compressed vapor is condensed as its heat is transferred to the liquid by means of an indirect contact heat transfer element such as a tube bundle.
Tube bundles are used in a shell and tube heat exchanger. In a shell and tube heat exchanger, either a liquid or a vapor is passed through the inside of the tubes, the other being passed around the outside of the tubes. The liquid and vapor usually flow in countercurrent directions to maximize the amount of heat that can be exchanged.
Plate and frame heat exchangers may also be used for transferring heat from a vapor to a liquid. In a plate and frame heat exchanger, liquid and vapor are passed along opposite sides of a plurality of generally parallel plates. The plates serve as the heat transfer element and are compressed together to prevent the intermingling of fluids. Adjacent plates P' are also in at least partial contact with each other at points C (FIG. 7).
A variety of processes and apparatuses teach the compression of vapors from evaporated liquids, most of which employ a shell and tube design. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,532,161; 4,769,113; 4,919,592; 4,869,067; and 3,901,768 teach such systems.
Despite the prior art devices, there is room for improvement within the art of vapor compression distillation.